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Sports / Recreation

Alumna tabbed to lead softball program

August 20, 2010

Director of Athletics Paul Kowalczyk announced Friday that Jen Fisher, the reigning NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year, has been hired to head the Colorado State softball program. Fisher takes over for Mary Yori who resigned this week after 10 seasons.

Jen Fisher, a Fort Collins native, CSU alum, and reigning NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year, has been hired to lead Rams Softball.

Proven winner at Metro State

“I am extremely excited that Jen will serve as the next head coach at CSU,” said Kowalczyk. “In addition to being a proven winner at Metro State - and Otero Junior College before that - she is an outstanding mentor to young student-athletes, and a person with strong local ties and a passion for Colorado State University.”

Cares deeply for Colorado State

“I’m thrilled that Paul Kowalczyk has chosen me to lead the softball team at Colorado State,” said Fisher. “I care deeply for Fort Collins and CSU and hope to make both very proud of the Rams softball team.”

“I believe strongly in the mission of the athletics department, and I also look forward to being mentored by some excellent professionals and coaches,” added Fisher. “I plan to work diligently with student-athletes to reach their goals and become champions both on and off the field.”

Class of '97

A native of Fort Collins, Fisher attended Rocky Mountain High School where she starred for the Lobos in softball, basketball and tennis, and was selected as the school’s female athlete of the year as a senior in 1990. She followed up her outstanding prep career by playing softball collegiately at Creighton for one season before transferring to Colorado School of Mines, where she played shortstop and was the Orediggers’ team captain in 1994.

At the conclusion of her playing career, Fisher returned home to Fort Collins, enrolling at Colorado State where her father, Wayne Schubert, has been a professor in the university’s world-renowned atmospheric sciences program since 1973. Fisher completed her bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1997, also earning her secondary teaching license.

Collegiate coaching career started at Otero Junior College

During that time, Fisher began to establish her coaching roots firmly within the community. From 1994-98, she coached the Fort Collins Buckaroos softball club, spending four seasons with the program. Fisher also spent three seasons as a developmental coach at Poudre High School before embarking on her collegiate coaching career at Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colo.

While at OJC (1998-2006), Fisher amassed an impressive record of 355-119 and won seven consecutive Region IX championships and Coach of the Year awards. Fisher’s Rattlers squads averaged more than 43 victories per season. She mentored seven NJCAA All-Americans and guided 13 more student-athletes to academic All-America status.

Fisher left OJC to resurrect a Metro State program that was slated to resume competition in 2008 after being disbanded in 1990. Using her consistent approach to the game, Fisher’s winning ways continued immediately as the head coach of the Roadrunners.

Put Metro Roadrunners on the national map

Fisher takes over for Mary Yori who recently resigned after 10 seasons with the Rams.

In three seasons at the NCAA Division II level, Fisher guided the program from infancy to 125 wins, while surrendering just 36 ballgames. And Fisher wasted little time in putting the Roadrunners’ program on the national map as well.

In 2008, Metro State’s first season of competition, Fisher posted a record of 32-18 (26-11 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference), laying the foundation for the next two seasons, which would feature back-to-back postseason appearances.

Metro’s 2009 squad went 40-12 (29-7 RMAC) behind the guidance of Fisher, the conference Coach of the Year. She led the Roadrunners to the RMAC regular-season and tournament championships, earning an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

Just when Roadrunners appeared to have reached the pinnacle of their success, Fisher took her squad to new heights. In 2010 the team took the nation by storm, posting a record of 53-6 (37-2 RMAC), earning back-to-back regular-season and tournament conference titles.

Fisher once again was named league Coach of the Year, and following a run to the NCAA Central Region title and a College World Series berth, Fisher captured CaptainU National Coach of the Year honors while her staff was tabbed as the NFCA Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

Strong academic base and civic involvement

While there were plenty of victories to go around, Fisher did more than just pile up wins at Metro State. Encouraging a strong academic base and civic involvement to help her players become winners on and off the diamond, Fisher established an off-the-field partnership with the Denver West High School softball team. The Roadrunners helped the girls with life skills, as well as academic and personal pressures. For their efforts, the Metro State squad received a community engagement award from the NCAA.

Fisher takes over for Mary Yori, who in 10 seasons in Fort Collins became the winningest coach in program history with an overall record of 276-242. She earned two Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year awards, and guided the Rams to the 2003 MWC tournament title and the 2004 regular-season championship. Overall in 21 seasons as a head coach Yori was 735-400 (.648).

Husband former CSU baseball player

Fisher and her husband Joe, a former CSU baseball player, have a son, Garrett Wayne, who will turn 10 in October.